Mayor Fills War Chest With Dinner and A Show

In keeping with the evening’s Broadway theme, Mayor Dave Heilmann charmed the husk right off of the corn at his annual political fundraiser at the last Friday.

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Supporters paid $70 for dinner and a show, a bargain considering what you’d pay downtown to see the caliber of entertainment presented by the mayor, a professional actor, and his friends, which was pretty fabulous.

There were so many people at the Heilmann campaign fundraiser that the Hilton temporarily ran out of bar glasses. A first-class supper buffet was offered in the twelfth-floor tower room, including beef tenderloin, a risotto bar and unlimited wine, beer and liquor.

Some guests were clearly there for the food and entertainment, including a woman who brought her father, a regular attendee at meetings. But there were plenty of FODs—friends of Dave’s—including

Following the reception, guests retreated downstairs to the main ballroom for an evening of show tunes presented by members of the , Junior Broadway and

The evening’s most jaw-dropping moments weren’t the mayor’s reprisal of his role as Billy Flynn from Chicago, or Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but his introduction of his running mate, village clerk challenger Melissa Moran.

The mayor drew gasps when he informed the audience Heilmann said he tried to warn fellow board members four years ago not to engage in potentially criminal activity “but two years later the FBI came in.”

Heilmann, who is up for reelection in April 2013, introduced Moran, a teacher at and daughter-in-law of ex-Oak Lawn fire chief Tom Moran, calling her an “outstanding principled person.” Then the mayor joined the rest of the cast in singing “Lullaby on Broadway.”

English teacher John Gonczy filled the space between costume changes with all the aplomb of a Friar’s Roast host. After the mayor finished singing “We Both Reached for the Gun” from the musical Chicago, Gonczy cracked: “How can you not vote for someone who can hold a note for that long.”

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When the show was over, guests went back upstairs to the tower for a dessert bar of truffles and pastry.

A Hilton employee placed the number of attendees at 260. Heilmann, who started doing theatrical political fundraisers two years ago, said he wanted to do something different.

“The traditional political event can be really boring listening to speeches, “ the mayor said. “That’s not my cup of tea. I thought it would be nice that if asking people for money you give them something fun.”

Heilmann said it took three days to throw together “A Night of Broadway,” which featured 21 musical numbers reprised from past park district productions. Seven donors paid for the mayor's campaign fundraiser, including the Oak Lawn firefighters’ union, Local 3405.

Regarding the federal criminal investigation, the mayor said

 “There was a question about a trustee whose family received jobs and six months later in came a $500,000 no-bid agreement [for a new village attorney]," Heilmann alleged.

Asked if he was referring to Oak Lawn Trustee Tom Phelan (Dist. 6) and former Querrey and Harrow attorney Mike Stillman, the mayor responded yes.

“I had a long conversation with all of these people,” Heilmann said. “When you get warned and the village gets a grand jury subpoena it’s a most serious issue. It can’t get more serious than a criminal investigation. No one talks about this and residents need to know.

“It’s not me making accusations, these are issues I raised and I expressed my concerns and in comes the FBI.”

Heilmann said his former Unity Party slate mates—Phelan, Trustees Alex Olejniczak (Dist. 2) and Tom Duhig (Dist. 4), and Village Clerk Jane Quinlan—were all on the receiving end of his communication yet still supported Phelan.

“Jane Quinlan sued me,” Heilmann said,

The mayor said he doesn’t know how the feds got tipped off, but they could have gotten wind of the village’s troubles watching the broadcasts of village board meetings on public access television.

“The meetings are publicized,” Heilmann said.

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Editor's note: I inadvertantly made a typo when referring to Melissa Moran as the "daughter" of the former Oak Lawn fire chief. The correction has been made.